Whenever I drive a Silverado, I’m reminded of the street I grew up on. You couldn’t throw a bottle cap without hitting one of the Chevy trucks that lined the road. Those stalwart pickups were driven to work every day by tradesmen neighbors who always parked them on the curb, saving the driveway for the family’s “good car.“

If any of the trucks had a radio, it only got AM stations; the rear-window defroster consisted of a paper towel (or your hand if you forgot to bring one out); and putting the air conditioning on “high“ meant rolling down both windows.

Chevys have come a long way since then (some are downright luxurious.), but for many truck buyers, they’re still the only choice.

“We’ve got a lot of customers who have driven nothing but Chevy trucks their whole lives — for generations in some families — because they know these trucks are reliable,” said Glen Stipelcovich, sales manager at Leson Chevrolet on the West Bank.

I know I was happy to climb into a 2009 Silverado crew cab this week. I could sit back in recliner-comfortable bucket seats, turn up the dual climate control and listen to satellite radio on a premium stereo system, while hauling a bunch of stuff home from the hardware store.

The big stuff, including 7-foot fence posts, easily fit into the truck’s short bed, with the smaller items stacked on the open load floor created by folding up the rear bench seat bottom.

Redesigned in 2007, the Silverado packs a powerful one-two punch as a capable work truck with the comfort and convenience features of a sedan. It’s no surprise that it made Car and Driver’s 5Best Trucks list.

The Silverado’s brawny character is reflected in its he-man-sized exterior. Its solid stance on a wide track (which adds to its comfortable ride) is highlighted by a power dome hood, oversized grille with large signature bow tie, stacked headlights and flared fenders.

There are also two different types of interiors: work truck on the lower trim levels and a more luxury-laden model on the top-of-the-line LTZ trim.

Part of the 2007 redesign was to move the instrument panel forward and down to make the cabin more spacious. The work truck interior features a 40/20/40 split front bench with cloth seats and a lockable storage bin big enough to fit a computer, as well as a double glove box and larger controls and handles.

The more upscale interior on the LTZ comes with fancier door panels and dash, as well as heated, 10-way adjustable leather seats and a Bose sound system.

Updates for 2009 include a new VVT V8 with E85 capability, a six-speed automatic transmission on some models, new 18- and 20-inch wheel designs, Bluetooth phone connectivity, XM satellite radio and OnStar 8.0 with turn-by-turn navigation.

All crew cabs come with that split flip-up backseat and extended cabs with rear-hinged back doors that open 170 degrees (almost flat against the truck) so that passengers don’t get “trapped” when both front and rear doors are open at the same time.